Exodus 17:1

Posted on March 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 17:1 Igitur profecta omnis multitudo filiorum Israel de deserto Sin per mansiones suas, iuxta sermonem Domini, castrametati sunt in Raphidim, ubi non erat aqua ad bibendum populo.

Therefore all the multitude of the sons of Israel set out from the desert of Sin through their encampments, according to the word of the LORD, and they encamped in Raphidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Igitur therefore CONJ
2 profecta having set out PTCP.PERF.PASS.NOM.SG.F
3 omnis all ADJ.NOM.SG.F
4 multitudo multitude NOUN.NOM.SG.F
5 filiorum of the sons NOUN.GEN.PL.M
6 Israel Israel NOUN.INDECL
7 de from PREP+ABL
8 deserto desert NOUN.ABL.SG.N
9 Sin Sin NOUN.INDECL
10 per through PREP+ACC
11 mansiones encampments NOUN.ACC.PL.F
12 suas their POSS.ACC.PL.F
13 iuxta according to PREP+ACC
14 sermonem word NOUN.ACC.SG.M
15 Domini of the LORD NOUN.GEN.SG.M
16 castrametati having encamped PTCP.PERF.PASS.NOM.PL.M
17 sunt they were 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
18 in in PREP+ABL
19 Raphidim Rephidim NOUN.INDECL
20 ubi where REL.ADV
21 non not ADV
22 erat there was 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
23 aqua water NOUN.NOM.SG.F
24 ad for PREP+ACC
25 bibendum to drink GERUNDV.ACC.SG.N
26 populo to the people NOUN.DAT.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: multitudo is the subject; profecta is the perfect passive participle modifying the subject; understood verb “est” supplies the verbal idea.
Phrase: de deserto Sin — ablative of separation.
Phrase: per mansiones suas — accusative of motion through.
Clause: iuxta sermonem Domini — adverbial prepositional phrase expressing conformity.
Main Verb: castrametati sunt — compound verb giving main action.
Location Phrase: in Raphidim — locative sense expressed by in + ablative.
Relative Clause: ubi non erat aqua ad bibendum populo — describes local condition.

Morphology

  1. Igitur — Lemma: igitur; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: logical connector; Translation: therefore; Notes: commonly introduces narrative transitions.
  2. profecta — Lemma: proficiscor; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies multitudo; Translation: having set out; Notes: deponent verb with passive form but active sense.
  3. omnis — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies multitudo; Translation: all; Notes: agrees in gender with multitudo.
  4. multitudo — Lemma: multitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: multitude; Notes: third declension abstract noun.
  5. filiorum — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: of the sons; Notes: plural shows collective lineage.
  6. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: genitive of possession with filiorum; Translation: Israel; Notes: proper name from Hebrew.
  7. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates separation; Translation: from; Notes: common ablative-preposition pairing.
  8. deserto — Lemma: desertum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of de; Translation: desert; Notes: second declension neuter.
  9. Sin — Lemma: Sin; Part of Speech: noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: proper place name; Translation: Sin; Notes: Semitic origin.
  10. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion through; Translation: through; Notes: standard directional preposition.
  11. mansiones — Lemma: mansio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of per; Translation: encampments; Notes: travel-term for stopping places.
  12. suas — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies mansiones; Translation: their; Notes: reflexive to the subject.
  13. iuxta — Lemma: iuxta; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses accordance; Translation: according to; Notes: sometimes means “next to” but here logical.
  14. sermonem — Lemma: sermo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of iuxta; Translation: word; Notes: can denote command or speech.
  15. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive with sermonem; Translation: of the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  16. castrametati — Lemma: castrametor; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate participle; Translation: having encamped; Notes: deponent form.
  17. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd plural; Function: auxiliary; Translation: they are/were; Notes: completes compound verb.
  18. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative indicator; Translation: in; Notes: static location.
  19. Raphidim — Lemma: Raphidim; Part of Speech: noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: object of in; Translation: Raphidim; Notes: location name.
  20. ubi — Lemma: ubi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: relative; Function: introduces clause; Translation: where; Notes: adverbial connective.
  21. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: negates erat.
  22. erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: verb of clause; Translation: there was; Notes: imperfect for background state.
  23. aqua — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of erat; Translation: water; Notes: singular despite English mass noun usage.
  24. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses purpose; Translation: for; Notes: classical purpose construction.
  25. bibendum — Lemma: bibo; Part of Speech: gerundive; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: purpose phrase; Translation: to drink; Notes: gerundive of purpose.
  26. populo — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: dative of advantage; Translation: to the people; Notes: marks beneficiary.

 

About Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Born around 346 A.D. in Stridon, St. Jerome was a scholar fluent in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew whose ascetic discipline and deep engagement with Scripture prepared him for a monumental task: translating the Bible into Latin. Commissioned by Pope Damasus I around 382 A.D., Jerome began by revising the flawed Old Latin Gospels, then expanded his work to the entire Bible. For the New Testament, he corrected Latin texts using Greek manuscripts; for the Old Testament, he translated most books directly from Hebrew—a controversial but principled choice. His final Psalter, however, followed the Greek Septuagint tradition for liturgical use. This composite translation, later known as the Vulgate (editio vulgata), became the authoritative biblical text of the Western Church, formally endorsed at the Council of Trent in 1546. The Vulgate’s influence extends beyond theology into textual criticism and Latin education. As one of the earliest translations grounded in original-language scholarship, it offers a vital witness to the state of biblical texts in late antiquity. Jerome’s lexical and syntactic decisions are studied to trace manuscript history and assess variant readings. Its elegant Latin, consistent in grammar and rich in vocabulary, became a model for medieval and Renaissance learning, bridging classical and ecclesiastical Latin. More than a translation, the Vulgate helped define Christian doctrine, preserved the Latin language, and laid essential groundwork for the critical study of Scripture—remaining indispensable to students of Latin, theology, and textual history.
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